SITKA, ALASKA
Also, the local fisheries were profitable so it benefited boat owners to have first-class vessels. In addition, boat construction was a craft with an ancient tradition and centuries of accumulated skill and technique. When you look closely at a wooden boat you can see the shapes of the pieces of wood that form it. Every curve is simply the most practical solution to a design problem. Those shapes are equal in subtlety, complexity and beauty to any piece of sculpture or fine furniture. The average shipwright made fits and forms worthy to be displayed in the Smithsonian Museum, and they did it outside, in the mud, rain and snow, and mostly with hand tools.
This applies both to the local dugout canoe used for thousands of years in this region, and to the newer, European style commercial fishing boat. Both of these boat types are examples of the very finest objects that humans have created.
The wooden boats are going away. Wood doesn't last forever, and especially not in this climate, without a lot of maintenance. Today there are other materials that are more practical, and cheaper than wood for boat construction. Wood boats used to be the treasured possession of every successful fisherman. Today they are hand-me-downs, and today's commercial fisherman can't afford the time or money to maintain them properly. They are treated as expendable, to be used hard and discarded when they wear out. The fisherman aspires to own a boat made of fiberglass or metal. These materials are practical. However, they aren't as beautiful, they don't reflect the skills and traditions of the past, and they aren't as worthy of our veneration as the historic wood fleet.
So it is a terrible fact that the wooden boats are disappearing, and so are the skills and knowledge that that accompanied their existence. It is tragic because the skills necessary to build, repair and maintain a wood boat are vital to the continuation of our society. Hand and eye coordination, good work habits, dedication, and study are required, as well as hard physical work. Opportunities for young people to experience and acquire these abilities are rare indeed in today's world.
During World War II the Army built a boat shop in Sitka where their boats could be maintained. Many boats were hauled out and worked on there over the years, and the boat shop is an important part of Sitka's historic legacy. It is now empty and derelict, resting on the beach between the O'Connell bridge and the Coast Guard wharf.
For the past several years the Sitka Maritime Heritage Society has been focused on renovating the boathouse, and putting it back into service. The Society and its many volunteers have done lots of good work, stabilizing the building, preserving its contents and planning its reconstruction.
At this time we have completed the architectural design and we're ready to put the job out to bid. The total cost is budgeted to be over one and a half million dollars. At the completion of the rebuilding Sitka will have a fully functional marine railway and boathouse where the art and craft of boat repair can be conducted in safety. It will become an aid to maintaining the remaining wooden boats, and a place where adults and students can learn about, and practice the skills of our maritime tradition. The society has already raised over half a million dollars to go toward the rebuilding. We do have a way to go before the total amount is in hand. In the mean time we have secured $325,000 to complete Phase 1, the roof replacement and structural upgrade. The money is a matching grant, which means we must match the funds dollar-for -dollar from other sources. The grant expires at the end of the year, which makes the matter of fund-raising very urgent.
It's an ambitious project, but the Sitka Maritime Heritage Society is determined to succeed. The vision of a bustling, productive boatshop in the middle of historic Sitka keeps us inspired. If you are also inspired, visit our website at sitkamaritime.org to see how you can help.
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